Home buyer’s, mortgage or insurance tree reports

If there are trees close to a building, you may require a home buyer’s, mortgage or insurance tree report if:

• Your mortgage lender wants to make sure that you will be able to get buildings insurance.
• You or your mortgage company are concerned about the safety of the tree, subsidence or ground heave.
• You want to minimise your future risk and any associated legal liability.
• The building has previously been affected by structural damage caused by trees.
• Branches and roots from neighbouring trees encroach into the property.

When carrying out a home buyer’s, mortgage or insurance tree report, I’ll inspect all the trees within the property and on neighbouring land, looking at their proximity to buildings and their health and condition and assessing whether they are likely to cause structural damage to buildings. This may be either direct damage (for example roots pushing against the building) or indirect damage such as soil shrinkage, which may cause subsidence. Within my report, I’ll also make recommendations for the management of the trees to alleviate current issues and ensure they don’t cause future problems.

My report will allow you, your mortgage lender or your insurance company to make an informed decision regarding the potential of the trees to cause damage to your property, either now or in the future.